The present inventions relate to the field of telecommunications, and particularly, relate to the use of voice messaging systems in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) of a communications system.
A person typically uses a telephone answering machine or a voice mail service to provide a caller with an opportunity to leave a message should the person be unavailable to take the call. On a busy day, a number of messages may be accumulated and made available for retrieval. As the person goes through the accumulated messages, he or she may simply listen to some of the messages. With respect to other messages, the person may desire to speak directly to the callers in xe2x80x9clive calls to the callersxe2x80x9d. In other words, the person may desire to make a reply call to one of the callers who left the person a message.
There are several different ways in which a person may make a reply call to a caller who left a message. A first way to make a reply call is referred to herein as xe2x80x9clisten-to-all messagesxe2x80x9d. In this way, the person listens through all of the messages (taking notes as necessary), and makes the reply call only after finishing with the accumulated messages. If the person subscribes to a voice mail service, then after the person""s call to the voice mail service to retrieve the messages, the person places another call so as to make the reply call to the caller of one of the messages. If the person uses an answering machine, then after the last message is played, the person may place a call to make the reply call.
This listen-to-all messages way of making a reply call has at least three disadvantages. First, the person has to listen through or otherwise take time with all of his or her messages. The time it takes to get through all of the messages is at least the delay experienced by the person in making the reply call. Second, the person may have to take notes (perhaps at least to capture the telephone number of the caller) while going through the messages so as to keep track of which messages need a reply, to what directory number to reply, etc. Third, the person, after the reply call has been concluded, may desire to return to the messages or to the voice mail functions. In that case, the caller may have to call back into the voice mail system or otherwise access the answering machine.
This third disadvantage may require a four stage process in the making of a reply call and getting back to messages or answering machine functions: (1) call into the service or run the answering machine; (2) exit the service or terminate the answering machine functions; (3) make the reply call; and (4) call back into the service or otherwise access the answering machine functions.
Another way to make a reply call is referred to herein as the xe2x80x9curgent-replyxe2x80x9d. The urgent-reply method may be used to avoid at least one of the disadvantages of the xe2x80x9clisten to allxe2x80x9d method in making a reply call. Pursuant to the urgent-reply method, the reply call is made as soon after listening to the relevant message as desired. For example, a caller may have left an urgent message for the person. As soon as the person gathers the urgency of the message and the relevant call-back information, the person may initiate the reply call. This urgent-reply method may avoid some aspects of the first of the disadvantages of the listen-to-all method of making a reply call in that the person does not have to listen to all of the messages before making a reply call.
But like the listen-to-all method, to make the reply call pursuant to the urgent reply method, the person still has to gather enough information to dial the call, etc. This may involve taking notes. In addition, the person may have made the reply call per the urgent-reply method and missed the remainder of his or her accumulated messages. In that case, the person has to call into the voice mail system or otherwise access the answering machine.
Yet another way of making a reply call is referred to herein as xe2x80x9cbounce-backxe2x80x9d, which is generally available only from advanced voice mail systems. Such an advanced voice mail system requires the person to call-in for messages, allows a reply call to be made after a particular message, and then allows the person to return to the voice mail service without the person having to make another call into the system. The bounce-back method may be implemented through the use of a platform such as an intelligent peripheral (IP) that maintains control over the person""s call into the system and over the reply call. One manner in which to maintain control is to bridge the person""s call into the system with the reply call to the caller who left the message. After the reply call is finished, then the bridge may be torn down, and the person may return to a review of messages or other voice mail functions.
But the manner in which bounce-back allows the person to return to the voice mail service without having to make a separate call into the system has drawbacks. Maintaining control over the person""s call into the system and the reply call (by making a bridge or otherwise) has the effect of including the platform as an element in the call path. By remaining an element in the call path, the platform takes up resources of the telecommunications network. In addition, by remaining an element in the call path, the platform may limit, if not eliminate, its own resources to take other calls for the person. Rather than being able to take another call for the person, the platform may be effectively xe2x80x98busyxe2x80x9d. Whether the resources that are taken up are those of the telecommunications network, the platform, or the voice mail service, the result of the take-up in resources is an increase in cost in at least operations of the platform and service.
Accordingly, there is a need for a solution that allows a person to make a reply call to a message left by a caller without the person having to listen through all of the messages, without the caller having to make a call into the voice mail system or otherwise activate the voice mail service in order to continue a review of messages or use other features of the service after the conclusion of the reply call, and without an implementing device of the voice mail service being included as an element in the call path while the caller is making the reply call.
Generally stated, the present inventions relate to methods and systems for enabling a subscriber to make a reply call to a voice mail message that has been made available for the subscriber at a voice mail system (VMS). More particularly, the methods and systems of the present inventions enable a subscriber, who has called into the voice mail system and retrieved a message, to make a reply call to the originator of the voice mail message. While the subscriber is making the reply call, the VMS is not included in the call path. After the reply call is concluded, the subscriber may be returned to interaction with the VMS without the subscriber having to make a separate call into the VMS.
Even more particularly, assume a subscriber has indicated a desire to make a reply call to a voice mail message retrieved from the VMS. In response to the indication, the VMS transmits a message indicating a release of the subscriber""s communication by the VMS. The message may also indicate at least a telephone number (reply telephone number) to which the reply call is to be directed. The message may be or may be a part of a GR-1129 message, and the message may include a Remote Operations (RO) parameter with information related to the reply call such as the reply telephone number, an identifier for implementation of a reply call, and/or the subscriber""s directory number. The release message effectively removes the VMS from further involvement with the subscriber""s communication or with the reply call (at least until the reply call is disconnected and the subscriber""s communication is reconnected to the VMS).
The message from the VMS may be received by the service switching point (SSP) serving the VMS (SSP of VMS), which in turn, routes the message (or the information from the message) to a service control point (SCP). In response, the SCP directs the SSP of VMS to route the communication to the subscriber""s directory number. A reason for first routing the communication to the subscriber""s directory number is to have the communication appear as if it is being made from a line corresponding to the subscriber""s directory number. The communication is to appear as if it is being made from the subscriber""s directory number for purposes of creating a billing record billing the subscriber, who has elected to make a reply call to a voice mail message.
In the course of routing the subscriber""s communication to the subscriber""s directory number, the communication is routed to the SSP serving the subscriber""s directory number (subscriber""s SSP). The subscriber""s SSP pauses in the processing of the communication and queries the SCP for instructions. The SCP then instructs the subscriber""s SSP to route the communication for termination to an intelligent network element (INE) such as an intelligent peripheral (IP). The INE is provided with the reply telephone number.
In response to the termination of the subscriber""s communication to the INE, the INE initiates a call to the reply telephone number. The INE also bridges the subscriber""s communication and the INE""s call to form the reply call. As a result of the bridge between the subscriber""s communication and the INE""s call, the subscriber is provided with a reply call to the reply telephone number. Advantageously, the VMS is not involved in this reply call from the subscriber through to the reply number. The release of the VMS from the subscriber""s communication frees up the VMS for other calls, reduces use of the infrastructure of the communications network by obviating the connections of the subscriber""s communication to the VMS, and otherwise improves the efficiency of processing the reply call.
Another advantage of the present inventions is that they provide methods and systems to connect the subscriber to the VMS for the interaction with the VMS after disconnection of the reply call without the subscriber having to make a separate call into the VMS.
Generally, to connect the subscriber for interaction again with the VMS, the reply call is monitored for a disconnect signal such as a disconnect event, the input of particular digits, or the like. The bridge between the subscriber""s communication and the INE""s call is dismantled so as to disconnect the INE""s call to the reply telephone number. Instructions may be obtained with respect to the subscriber""s communication so the subscriber""s communication is routed to the VMS without the subscriber having to call back into the VMS.
More particularly, the INE, which includes the bridge between the subscriber""s communication and the INE""s call to form the reply call, monitors the reply call for a disconnect signal. In response to the disconnect signal, the INE dismantles the bridge so as to disconnect the INE""s call to the reply telephone number. The INE may provide a release message to the SSP serving the INE so as to indicate the INE""s withdrawal or release from usage with respect to the subscriber""s communication. The SSP serving the INE may obtain instructions with respect to the subscriber""s communication. The subscriber""s communication is transmitted by the SSP serving the INE to the VMS. As a result of the disconnection of the INE""s call and the INE""s release from the subscriber""s communication, the communication is available for connection for interaction with the VMS. Advantageously, the subscriber does not have to make a call back into the VMS to continue to interact with the VMS, but the subscriber may simply hang on after disconnection of the reply call to be routed back to the VMS.
That the present inventions and the exemplary embodiments accomplish the features of the present inventions will become apparent from the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments and the drawings that follow.